Item V - The Learning Environment and School Governance A number of Experts took the floor under item V 7. Issues for presentation and discussion included the following: hostile environments and bias in disciplinary measures; antidiscrimination and inter-cultural training; the recruitment and training of teachers from minority communities; and the active involvement of representatives from minority communities in school management and administration. The floor was then opened to all participants. Mr. Carlos de la Torre, Chair, Political Studies and Director of the Ph.D. Programme in Social Sciences, Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences FLACSO, Ecuador, addressed the issues of disciplinary actions and bilingual education. He recommended in particular that the issue of affirmative action should be more emphasized in the Draft Recommendations, for example with respect to recommendation 7, include language to the effect that “such measures are mandatory in racially and ethnically segregated systems.” Ms. Maisie Chin, Director, Community Asset Development Redefining Education (CADRE), USA, discussed disciplinary action, cooperation between parents of children of minorities and the school authorities, the elimination of prejudices, and state obligations. She commended the construct and definition of “the learning environment” in the Draft Recommendations, and suggested that it be expanded to specifically indicate governmental accountability for the resolution of claims made by minority students and/or their parents/caregivers when the learning environment fails to respect minorities’ rights, and specifically when the violations pertain to racial bias, the dehumanization of children, adolescents, and parents, and the exclusion of minority parents’ right to monitor, participate, and hold publicly-funded educational institutions accountable. Ms. Meghna Guhathakurta, Executive Director, Research Initiatives, Bangladesh, made suggestions for the improvement of the language in Draft Recommendations 34, 35 and 38. For example, she highlighted that it is particularly relevant to mention caste-specific discrimination in relation to vocational training, since the discrimination based on work and descent often leads to prejudices against certain vocational training. For example many refuse to take up training as a barber since in some areas it is considered to be a “lower caste” job notwithstanding the fact that in modern day market economics it can be quite a lucrative one. Mr. Dennis Parker Director, Racial Justice Programme, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - USA spoke about the issue of disciplinary actions. He made several recommendations including that abusive school disciplinary practices, including corporal punishment, should be banned, and that the use of police officers or school security personnel should be limited and made proportional to legitimate security concerns and 7 The full text of the Experts’ presentations is available on the forum’s web site at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/minority/oral_statements_forum_minority_2008.htm 11